ICO Slaps Massive £590,000 Fines on Rogue Call Firms
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has hit five companies with hefty fines totalling £590,000. These firms blasted nearly 2 MILLION unwanted marketing calls, zeroing in on elderly and vulnerable victims. The calls pushed dodgy insurance deals on household appliances like washing machines, fridges, and TVs.
Nearly £1.5 Million Fined in Ongoing Crackdown
Since October 2021, the ICO has fined 16 companies a whopping £1.45 million for illegal nuisance calls. Many targeted people who had registered with the Telephone Preference Service (TPS) to block spam. National Trading Standards helped fuel the ICO’s crackdown with key intelligence.
Preying on the Elderly with High-Pressure Sales
These firms use ruthless tactics to trick older and vulnerable folks into buying useless insurance products. Andy Curry, Head of ICO Investigations, blasted the crooks:
“We’ve heard harrowing stories of people being hounded with these nuisance calls, and feeling forced into handing over bank details for unwanted and unnecessary insurance. We’re working to protect people who are being deliberately targeted because they’re seen as easy pickings by unscrupulous cold callers.”
Case Study: Family Loses Over £2,000 to Scam Calls
Jonathan Young revealed how his parents were scammed into coughing up over £2,000 to a dozen companies after relentless calls. They had never wanted or needed these insurance policies. Jonathan tracked the payments and battled for months to reclaim the cash. The ICO has now fined two of those companies.
“Despite opting out of marketing calls, my parents were bombarded by these firms. Confused and pressured, they ended up paying thousands for policies they didn’t want. Companies should stop targeting elderly and vulnerable people like this. I’m glad the ICO is stepping up to stop this nightmare for other families,” said Jonathan.
How to Fight Back Against Nuisance Calls
- It is illegal to call TPS-registered numbers for marketing unless the company has explicit consent.
- Andy Curry urges everyone to register with the Telephone Preference Service to block unwanted calls.
- Report nuisance calls to the ICO immediately for investigations.
Register free with TPS here: tpsonline.org.uk
Report nuisance calls here: ico.org.uk
The Firms Fined for Flooding Phones with Spam Calls
- Cover Appliance Ltd – fined £200,000 for 511,499 calls
- F12 Management Ltd – fined £200,000 for 1,346,019 calls
- SGS Home Protect Ltd – fined £70,000 for 24,241 calls
- RHAP Ltd – fined £65,000 for 15,288 calls
- House Hold Appliance 247 Ltd – fined £55,000 for 19,069 calls
The message is clear: Stop pestering the vulnerable or face big fines from the ICO.
